Their parent company, Deckers Outdoor Corp., just won the Recycler of the Year award from the city of Santa Barbara. This is just the cap on a list of green achievements by the company.

Here is a small sample of what goes into a product by Simple.

what’s in this shoe: # Jute uppers # Flannel bamboo linings # Jute laces # Recycled rubber eyelet guards # Removable natural laytex pedbed with a cotton canvas cover # Layered natural crepe outsole # Uses water-based cements # 100% post consumer paper pulp foot forms # We reduced stuffing in our packaging because too much is wasteful!

Their website, www.simpleshoes.com, is simple, fun and informative. Plus even us Canadians can order online! Gotta love when green companies do that.

The Fire Hose Wallet is pretty much what the title says. Its a recycled fire hose that has been cut down, sewn up and branded to become a wallet! Talk about recycling the coolest stuff! The wallets are really tough (being firehose and all) and each one is unique as its cut from a different section of hose.

This would be a great gift for anyone interested in either recycled products or firefighting!

Get more details at www.ecoutlet.co.uk

Most of the produce they use is grown locally (not sure where the salmon comes from locally…). They’ve also invested time researching the best non-food products to use in their restaurant, including takeout containers made from cornstarch that break down unlike the common styrofoam or plastic.

Some of the restaurant’s insides are made from recycled materials and even the cutlery and cups are biodegradable.

The restaurant is located at the north end of the city on Fanshawe Park Road. The prices are really fair, the food looks great, and its good to see a restaurant giving Londoner’s a choice in what they eat.

See the Ozone Organics website for more info and the menu.

From the magazine Fast Company, this article talks to Johnathan Goodwin, a car guru from Wichita, Kansas. His car shop has been blowing away the biggest companies in their claims of miles per gallon on big cars. Large car manufacturers have been stating that cars made with alternative fuel or electric engines have to be too small that people won’t buy them. I’ve always seen this as a load of dung, and figured it was just because they’re making enough money as it is that they don’t want to change.  While the big guys are playing with small cars and complaining that nothing else can be done, Goodwin has been souping up Jeeps, Yukon XLs and even Hummers to be fuel efficient.

His latest project is a Hummer with a military-designed turbine jet engine that gets up to 60,000 rpm and burns almost any fuel. This will allow the Hummer to go about 60 miles per gallon of fuel, and have enough power to do 0-60 in 5 seconds. Not even the latest ‘hybrid’ cars from the big companies can do that, and these cars are less than 1/2 the weight of the hummer.

The full (long) article can be found at the Fast Company website

Some of their products include:

Chopstick Placemats

Organic Washcloths

Get the whole story here: www.abcnews.go.com 

The problem with North American created mass consumption is that suppliers want their products not only cheap but made as fast as possible. If you’re behind your competitor in the release of a new product, you could lose millions. So the manufacturer does what it can to speed the process, to create the product ahead of time and under budget. They do this by loosening product safety and standards checks. If somehow a lead-based chemical gets put into the mix, the slackened safety control can’t take the time to test all the materials, resulting in the lead-laced products being put into the market. Even now, areas like California are banning toys that could have lead in them.

The problem still remains, mass produced products, made in large factories, are not given the care that locally, smaller business made products are. You can find many products that are made from recycled or organic materials, made within 500km of you, that are equal or better than what you can find in a product made in China.

In our own province, we have companies that bring you organic, lead-free, local products. The Organic Make-up Company Inc, out of Markham, Ontario provids organic cosmetics prepared with pure, simple, natural ingredients and preparation methods.

OMC creates all of their products with respect to the environment and all things that live within it. Their products do not contain animal products, animal slaughter by-products, or any synthetic or petroleum derived ingredients. They strive to use certified organic ingredients where possible, and are continually researching ways to replace non-certified organic ingredients. OMC also carefully selects all of their packaging materials for their ability to be washed out and re-used by the consumer to reduce landfill waste.

As consumers, we can delegate what is carried in stores. If we refuse to buy anything that is made in Asian factories, then the store will be forced to not carry them. Yes products made in china are cheaper, but look at what you could be getting in them! Buy locally, buy recycled, buy organic, and help stop mass production.

An evolution in style, in concept, in color. In an age of disposability, our new line of sustainable toys stands the test of time. Utilizing a reusable resource – both fabric and stuffing made from recycled soda pop bottles – gives each toy a life beyond one bite. From the mouth of soda pop consumers to the mouth of a dog…this product lives on!

Our Turtle is no ordinary Turtle – our Turtle is helping the environment. What dog couldn’t become best friends with this toy? Made from 85% Post Consumer Recycled Soda Bottles, our Tutle has an unbelievable soft shell without sacrificing any strength. A long lasting squeaker is surrounded by recycled polyfill batting within the shell. Your furry friend will agree, our Turtle is more fun than the real thing! Machine Washable. Made in Montana.

See their full line at www.westpawdesign.com